Mechanism for automatically controlling the unloading valves of air compressors for a plurality of pressures



Jan. M. RIESNER MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE UNLOADING VALVES OF AIR COMPRESSORS FOR A PLURALITY 0F PRESSURES Filed August 19, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MICHAELRIESNER.

l ENTOR ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MICHAEL RIESNER.

' VENTOR ATTORNEY M. RIESNER OF AIR COMPRESSORS FOR A PLURALITY OF PRESSURES Filed Augu st 19, 1926 Jan 18 1927.

MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE UNLOADING VALVES L M D Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

; UNITED STATES Parana" rt" ice.

MICHAEL RIESNER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO VJORTI'IINGTON PUME AND MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF NEIIYOBK. N. Y., A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE UNLOADING VALVES OF AIR COMPBESSORS FOR A PLURALITY 0F PRESSURES.

Application filed. August 19, 1926. Serial No. 130,128.

This invention relates to air compressors and more particularly to a mechanism tor automatically controlling the unloadlng valves of an air compressor.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a mechanism controlledby the air used, ininstances where a plurality of pressures is utilized, for automatically controlling the unloading of the compressor to regulate its air compressing action 1n proportlon to the pressure being used.

In certain types of conveying systems for conveying pulverized material, a power driven pump is employed to push the material through the conveyor line, and the material is carried to the discharge end of the pump where the mass is aerated by a small amount of medium pressure compressed air which changes the nature of the material from a dense mass into a semi-fluid state, 111 which state it is transported through the conduits or transport line of the system to its destination. lVhen the pump is shut down increased air pressure is required to clear the transport line or conduits.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means associated with an air compressor and controlled by the flow of aerated or fluidizing air into the pump of such systems to automatically control the unloading valves of the air compressor for, in turn, controlling the pressure of air compressed, to meet the requirements of the conveying system; and to provide an automatic control of compressor unloading valves, which is operated and controlled from an outside source or mechanism for controlling operation of the unloading valves to regulate pressures of the air and provide automatically controlled variance of the pressure.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in various features of construction and combination of parts, which will be first described in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing a mechanism for automatically controlling the unloading valves of an air compressor for a plurality of pressures, of the preferred form embodying the invention, and the features forming the invention will be specifically pointed out in the claims. i

In the drawings-- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a con veying system for pulverized material showing the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of the unloading valve controlling mechanism showing parts in section.

Figures 3 and 4 are enlarged sections through the reversing valve showing it in different positions assumed during operation of the device.

In the drawings the improved mechanism for automatically controlling the unloading valves of air compressors for a plurality of pressures is shown illustrated with a particular well known commercial type of system for conveying pulverized material but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to use in connection with systems for conveying pulverized material but is equally. adaptable for use in any system, mechanism or the likewhere it is desired to provide an automatic control of compressor unloading valves to control the compressing action in proportion to the pressure being used and wherein it is desirable to control operation relapse of the unloading valves from an outside source or mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the system for conveying pulverizedmaterial which is well known and mav be purchased on'the open market includes a pump A into which the pulverized material is fed through the inlet B. The pump'forces the material out of its discharge end through the conduits or transport line C to the desired destination, which in the present system is illustrated as bins D. The pulverized material is aerated at the discharge end of the pump bv a small amount of medium pressure compressed air which enters the pump through the air ring E and changes the nature of the material from a dense mass into a semi-fluid state. The air passing to the. air ring E is delivered from the receiver F through the pipe G and passes downwardly through the pipe H to the ring E. The air passing to the ring E passes through the pipe J and the reducing valve K. From the pipe J some of the air passes into one end of the cylinder 1 of the reversing valve structure 2 which controls operation of the suction valve unloader 3 which may be of any approved mechanism for holding open the suction valves to per- Bil mit partial unloading of the compressor to regulate its compressing action. The suction valve unloader mechanisms of the air compressor a are controlled directly by trigger valves 5 and 6 which may be of any approved construction of trigger valve such as now used in controlling step-by-step unloading of air compressors and the controlling action of the trigger valves 5 and 6 is controlled from the pump or outside source through the reversing valve structure 2. When air is admitted into the pump A through the air ring E, its pressureis relatively low since its function is to aerate or fiuidize the pulverized material and at such times the piston 10 of the reversing valve structure 2 is forced forwardly against the tension of the spring 11 byv the pressure of the air from the pipe J entering the cylinder 1. When the piston 10 is in its inward position as, just referred to, it opens up communication between the trigger valve 6, which is set for the lower pressure desired, and the suction valve unloading mechanism 3 for placing the unloading mechanism under the pressure control 01": the trigger valve 6 regulating the compressor so that it will compress air to the desired pressure being utilized in the machine. In the drawings, the passageway or connection between the trigger valve 6 and unloader mechanism 3 is shown as through the pipe 12 about the reduced portion 13 ot the piston and the pipe 14.

When the pump A is shut down, increased pressure is then required to clear the conduits or transportline (l. lVith the shutting down of the pump, the supply of air to the air ring E is cut oil by manual closing of the valve 20, and the air pressure on the large end of the piston 10 in the reversing valve 2 is released through the ports in the air ring E. The piston 10is moved by the flexing of the spring 11 into the position illustrated in Figure 4 ot the drawings, and in which position it cuts oil communication between the pipes 12 and 14 and establishes communication between the pipes 18 and 14 which places the suction valve unloader mechanism 3 under the control of the trigger valve 5. which is set for the higher pressure. The compressor is then automatically under control of the higher pressure when the valves 21 and 22 are manually opened for supplying air under the higher pressure to the blowout valve L and emergency blowout line M of the system for conveying pulverized material. The valve 23 is provided to permit the air to pass to the air ring E without passing through the re ducing valve K and during normal operation, the valve 23 is closed and the valve opened. However, whenthe valve 23 is opened the valve 20 is closed. This construction is a part of the pump structure and forms no part of the present invention. In instances where the compressor and its controlling mechanism are not used in connection with a pump of the type shown in the drawings but where it is desired to automatically control the compressor for providing a plurality ot' pressures, the reversing valve structure 2 is controlled and operated in the same manner as heretofore described, it being operated under the lower pressure being usedto control the suction valve unloaders by the trigger valve set for the low pressure, and when relieved of the low pressure air the reversing valve will operate to place the suction valve unloading mechanism under control of the trigger valve 5, which is set for the high pressure. lVhen the mechanism again uses the low pressure the air admitted to the cylinder 1 will operate the piston 10 to establish communication between the low pressure trigger valve and the unloading mechanism.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction or arrangement of parts shown but that these may be modified widely within the invention defined by the claims.

lVhat is claimed is:

l. The combination with an air compressor, unloading mechanism therefor, and trigger valves for controlling said unloading mechanism, of a reversing valve controlled from an outside source for automatically controlling operation of said unloader mechanism by said tri valves.

2. The combination with an air compressor, unloading mechanism therefor, and trigger valves for controlling said unloading mechanism, of means operated by pre-dctermined variance of pressure of air used in an outside mechanism for automatically controlling operation of said unloading mechan sm by said trigger valves.

3. The combination with an air compressor, and unloading mechanism therefor, of trigger valves one set for relatively high pressure and the other for relatively low pressure for controlling operation of said unloading mechanism, and means controlled by pressure of air used to operatively connect one of said trigger valves with said unloading mechanism, and operable upon cutting off of the supply of air thereto to operatively connect the other trigger valve and said unloading mechanism.

4. The combination with an air compressor and unloading mechanism therefor, of trigger valves set for relatively high and low pressures for controlling operation of said unloading mechanism, and a valve operated by pressure of air used, to operatively connect one of said trigger valves with said unloading mechanism and operable upon cutting oil of the supply of air thereto, to

operatively connect the other trigger valve and said unloading mechanism.

, 5. The combination with an air compressor, and unloading mechanism therefor, of trigger valves set for relatively high and low pressures for controlling ope ation of said unloading mechanism, a valve including apiston moved by pressure of air used, to operatively connect one of said trigger valves with said unloading inecl'ianism, and movable upon release from pressure of the air used to operatively connect the other of said trigger Valves and said unloading mechanism.

6. The combination with an air compressor, unloading mechanism therefor, and trigger valves set for relatively high and low pressures for controlling operation of said unloading mechanism, of a valve including a piston moved by pressure of air used, to operatively connect said low pressure trigger valve with said unloading mechanisms, and movable upon release from pressure of the air used to operatively connect the high pressure trigger valve with said unloading mechanism.

7. The combination with an air compressor for two pressures, and unloading mechanism therefor, of means operable by pressure of air used for controlling said unloader mech anism to cause the compressor to operate at low compressing pressure of air, said means operable under release of pressure of air used to control said unloading mechanism to cause said compressor to operate at high compressing pressure of air.

8. The combination with an air compressor for two pressures, and unloading mechanism therefor, of a valve including a piston moved by pressure of air used for controlling said unloader mechanism to cause the compressor to operate at low compressing pressure of air, and means for moving said piston upon release of the piston from pressure of air used to control said unloading mechanism to cause said compressor to operate at high compressing pressure of air.

9. A mechanism for automatically controlling the unloading valves of air compressors for two pressures comprising a reversing valve including a cylinder, a piston Within said cylinder said piston movable in one direction under air pressure and a spring within said cylinder and engaging the piston to move it upon release of the piston from air pressure.

10. A mechanism for automatically controlling the unloading valves of air compressors for two pressures comprising a reversing valve including a cylinder, a piston with in said cylinder said piston movable in one direction under air pressure and a spring Within said cylinder and engaging the piston to move it upon release of the piston from air pressure, said piston provided with a reduced portion to permit lay-passing of air thereabout at pre-determined times.

11. The combination with an air compressor and unloading mechanism therefor, of tri ger valves set for relatively high and low pressures for controlling operation of said unloading mechanism, and means for automatically shifting the connection of said unloading mechanism from one to the other of said trigger valves for unloading the compressor at different pressures.

12. The combination with an air compressor and unloading mechanism therefor, of trigger valves set for relatively high and low pressures for controlling operation of said unloading mechanism, and means controlled from an outside source for automatically shifting tire connection of said unloading mechanEsm from one to the other of said trigger valves for unloading the compressor at different pressures.

13. The combination with an air compressor and unloading mechanism therefor, of trigger valves set for relatively high and low pressures for controlling operation of said unloading mechanism, and means operated by predetermined variance of pressure of air used in an outside mechanism for automatically shifting the connection of said unloading mechanism from one to the other of said trigger valves for unloading the compressor at diiierent pressures.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

MICHAEL RIESNER. 

